Philadelphia Page #13

JOE:

They didn't fire her?

ANDREW:

No. They didn't fire her.

Andrew goes back to his work. Joe stands there.

JOE:

So Kenton connected the... lesion,

and whatever suspicions he had about

your personal life... to this

woman, Maria... and blew the

whistle on you. Suddenly you're

losing files, and it's time to

let you go. But, up to this

point, you've been their Golden

Boy, their rising star... Their

behavior is... inconsistent.

ANDREW:

Thank you.

Andrew goes back to work.

JOE:

There is no relevant precedent.

ANDREW:

(not looking up)

Arline decision. Supreme Court.

JOE:

Arline?

Andrew SHOVES the legal book toward Joe.

CLOSE ON ANDREW'S HANDS (with one blotch) on the book's white

pages.

The book is still facing Andrew. If Joe wants to read it,

he'll have to turn it around.

Joe looks at Andrew's hands. A MOMENT.

Joe turns the book around, begins to read:

JOE:

"The Federal Vocational

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits

discrimination..."

CAMERA CRANES UP, TOWARD THE CEILING... JOE CONTINUES

READING IN VOICE-OVER:

JOE (VO) (CONT.)

"... against otherwise qualified

handicapped persons who are able

to perform the duties required by

their employment..."

CAMERA GOES HIGHER, LOOKING DOWN ON THE ROWS OF BOOKS AND THE

LONG TABLES DOTTED WITH PEOPLE...

JOE (VO) (CONT.)

"Although the ruling did not

address the specific issue of

HIV and AIDS discrimination..."

DISSOLVE TO SAME ANGLE AN HOUR LATER: Andrew and Joe face each

other at their table, but NO ONE ELSE remains at that table,

or at the table next to it...

ANDREW (VO)

"Subsequent decisions have held

that AIDS is protected as a

handicap under law, not only

because of the physical

limitations it imposes..."

DISSOLVE TO A SAME ANGLE AN HOUR LATER (DAY IS TURNING INTO

NIGHT):
Joe pacing, Andrew reading. Their section of the

library is COMPLETELY EMPTY but for Andrew and Joe.

ANDREW (VO) (CONT.)

"But because the prejudice

surrounding AIDS exacts a social

death which precedes the actual,

physical one..."

DISSOLVE TO SAME ANGLE, LATER: Andrew and Joe sit on the

same side of the table, reading the same book.

JOE (VO)

"This is the essence of

discrimination:
formulating

opinions about others not based

on their individual merits but,

rather, on their membership in a

group with assumed characteristics...

The library is QUIET. Andrew SNEEZES.

Joe scoots his chair away from Andrew by eight inches.

DISCO MUSIC RISES ACCOMPANIED BY THE SOUNDS OF GRUNTING,

HEAVY BREATHING AND SLAPPING FLESH AS WE...

CUT TO:

MUSCULAR, SWEATY MALE BODIES SLAMMING INTO EACH OTHER, sounds of

GRUNTS, skin SLAPPING against skin (INT./NIGHT) ...

... Hand SLAPPING a butt under satin shorts

... Sweaty armpits... the ROAR OF A CROWD...

... BASKETBALL PLAYERS embracing, twirling each other around, high

fiving...

WIDE ANGLE REVEALS: A basketball game in progress, Sixers

versus the Celtics in Philly's Spectrum Arena.

ON CLOSED CIRCUIT TV: ROBERT PARISH going for a lay-up...

WHEELER/KENTON/OTHERS

Watch this guy! Nail him! Ouch!

Charles Wheeler, Walter Kenton, Kenneth Killcoyne, Bob Seidman

and SEVERAL LAWYERS and SPOUSES watch the game from a plush,

private box, complete with TV, bar, snack table. The lawyers wear

Ralph Lauren polos, chinos and ball caps. The place reeks of

cigar smoke. Walter Kenton has a twentyfive year old WIFE.

Charles Wheeler's nine year old GRANDSON sits nearby.

Wheeler turns the GRANDSON'S ballcap around, smiling

lovingly at the boy.

JUST BEYOND WHEELER: The door to the box is opened by a SECURITY

GUARD and a well-dressed, charismatic MAN looks in.

WHEELER:

(spotting him)

Julius!

KENTON:

Dr. J.!

DR. J.

Gentlemen... Ladies...

JULIUS ERVING enters, greeted by the LAWYERS.

LAWYERS:

How's it goin', Doctor?/This is

an honor!/etc ...

The door is opened again, by the SECURITY GUARD, REVEALING

Joe Miller (in jeans and basketball jacket) and a MARSHALL.

JOE:

Excuse me. Charles Wheeler?

Wheeler turns. Joe SLAPS a document into Wheeler's hand.

JOE (CONT.)

Summons. For you.

NOW the box is QUIET.

DR. J.

Say. What's up, Chuck?

CUT TO:

THE BRIGHTLY LIT, RESTRICTED, INNER CORRIDOR OF SPECTRUM

Stadium (INT./NIGHT) where Wheeler walks beside Bob Seidman,

with Walter Kenton and Kenneth Killcoyne just behind. SOUNDS

OF THE GAME STILL IN PROGRESS can be heard, but FAR AWAY.

Occasionally the lawyers are passed by FOOD SERVICE or LAUNDRY

SERVICE EMPLOYEES...

WHEELER:

... interview every employee,

support staff, associates, partners.

Did any of them know Andy was sick?

How did they know? Did he tell them?

Did they notice something was wrong

with his appearance? None of this

information got to the managing

partners. We know that. Make sure

everyone else does too... And

Beckett:
I want to know everything

about his personal life. Did he

frequent those pathetic bars on

Camac Street?

SEIDMAN:

Jesus.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote